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It’s BAAAAAACCCCCCKKKK. Psoriasis update 6/15/2016

As I have said before I dislike it when someone talks about a certain treatment for a condition, then never tells how it turned out. So here is another update.

Again, it has started out as guttate with some of the red spots developing a small plaque. So far the biggest is about as big as my index fingertip. Most are about the size of a pencil eraser. The main difference is that this time there is no widespread erythrodermic psoriasis with it. At least, not yet and I feel that this outbreak is going to run its course with out it. Considering the way my psoriasis acted prior to the severe out breaks I have suffered (2011 and 2015 posts links) I think these will simply hang around for a time and eventually heal.

The individual sites are bi-laterally symmetrical, (as to location, that is if they are on the right side, they are also on the left. If they are on the calf of the legs or on the thighs or on the torso, for example, there are ones on the opposite side in a matching location in approximately the same numbers.) small and not overly aggravating or itchy. There is one small patch which can be considered as crease type or inverse Psoriasis. At this time there is no palmoplantar (psoriasis of the palms or soles of the feet) either, so compared to what I have experienced, this outbreak is very, very mild.

As I say, I am no doctor, but I have dealt with this without using convention treatments, which as far as I am concerned have consequences as severe as the condition. I would prefer, as long as I am able, to avoid those treatments. On a daily basis I take the following supplements:

In addition, I take 100 mg of 5HTP as an aid in dealing with my long term affliction with mild depression. For a long time, I took St. John’s wort and while it did help, I did not like that one of the well known side effects is the skin sensitization to light. I do not know nor can I demonstrate that this sensitivity may have aggravated my previous flareups, but this is what I suspect. It may be the reason for the extensive area affected with the erythrodermic psoriasis the previous times.

For the duration of this flare (or for about 3 weeks I think at present) I will take the above twice a day (morning before breakfast and just before bedtime) instead of only once. I will add to this routine 2000 more IU of vitamin D3, 100mg of Luteolin and the 1 gram of Quercetin/Bromelain. In addition, 1 allegra 180 capsule plus one nsaid such as exceredin PM, ibuprofen, or naproxen sodium cap or tablet.

As I have said before in my previous posts on this topic, the methodology I embrace is to try and moderate the middle of the psoriasis cascade by using several anti-inflammatory products, each of which targets a separate inflammatory pathway. The idea is not to suppress these inflammatory pathways as much as it is to moderate them, to slow down the psoriasis process and to allow the damage that is done to heal naturally. Once the site is healed and is done so without suppressing the immune system totally the way most conventional medications for psoriasis does) the psoriasis fades away by itself.

My theory behind the psoriasis outbreaks I have is that they are initially triggered by some allergenic reaction. (It could be some form of weed pollen, some fungal or mold spores, or possibly even some sort of insect bites. The timing has been during summer or early fall for the outbreak start times.) The immune system not only reacts but over reacts, which causes damage to the skin layer. This damage then triggers further responses from the immune system which causes more damage which causes more response from the immune system and so on and so on in a viscous cycle until. If something can moderate this cascading effect, which reduces the overall damage presented to the immune system while at the same time slowing down its responses, which in turn allows the damage to be reduced and to somewhat heal, then the responses from the immune system are reduced more and the sites of the damage to go into final healing. Once healed there is no call upon the immune system to further react and the psoriasis goes into remission.

I much prefer this method versus the idea of shutting down or suppressing the immune system the way the main treatments for Psoriasis does. I do not like the idea of reducing the immune system to the point that a person becomes susceptible to any other sort of affliction which may come by. With a very active immune system, I have not been plagued with colds, flus or other sort of pesky ailments. I would much prefer to keep it that way.

As of this writing (6/16/2016) the guttate has stopped popping up so it seems to me the spread as been stopped and the idea now is to simply stop any more from appearing and allowing what is there to heal. There is no major consequences such as any joint pain, muscle or tissue swelling, or other serious outbreak sites. Yes, I’ll have the red spots for a time and I’ll have places where the skin is rough and coarse until the final healing occurs, but compared to the severe expanse of erythrodermic psoriasis that I have experienced, I have no complaints about what is happening this time.